If more countries shut out TikTok, it risks suffering a big blow to its business. Shifting its headquarters to a Western capital could help it claim a post-national identity, if not a global one
TikTok is reportedly in talks with the UK government to shift its headquarters to London, though other cities may also be in its sights. This seems driven not by efficiency but by a need to distance itself from its Chinese ownership. The short-video platform is owned by China’s ByteDance. It’s among the Chinese tech firms facing scrutiny around the world over suspicions of acting on behalf of Beijing by sharing user data with its intelligence agencies. Recently, India banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok.
If more countries shut out TikTok, it risks suffering a big blow to its business. Shifting its headquarters to a Western capital could help it claim a post-national identity, if not a global one. For this to be convincing, though, it should offer full transparency on its ownership and operations for others to check if it has any discreet links with the Chinese state. Even open governance structures may not be enough. Perhaps its shareholders and management would have to turn suitably diverse, drawn from across the world, before it manages a transition in its image. That could take years or decades of effort. A mere shift of location could be just an eyewash.
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